Hermione's True Love
by Katalina
Summary: A story where Hermione learns what's important and what's not!


It was 9:30 at night and Hermione was mad. She had been waiting for Harry for at least an hour. He had told her he would be there promptly, he knew Hermione Granger was not one to be kept waiting, or for that matter, mad.  
Just as Hermione was about to give up waiting and head to her dorm, Harry, sopping wet and bedraggled, burst through the portrait hole.  
"Harry! Where have you been?" Hermione scolded. "I've been waiting ages for you!"  
"Er, I forgot to mention, I had Quiddich practice today." Harry mumbled.  
"Well, sit down." Hermione began to lecture, "Standing around and feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help anyone." Harry collapsed into a nearby chair.  
"What's all the commotion?" A sleepy head poked through the boy's dormitory door. It was Ron. "Oh Harry, it's you! I've been meaning to talk to you but I couldn't find you anywhere!"  
"Well too bad." Hermione said briskly, "He's mine right now."  
"But you two could talk for, well, forever!" Ron moaned. " Just for a minute,"  
"I suppose." Hermione sighed. "But you better be quick."  
*  
When it was finally Hermione's turn to talk to Harry, which was approximately two hours later, there was nothing to talk about. Hermione just sat there, opposite from Harry, waiting for him to bring up something.  
"Well, I guess I'll be off to bed." Harry said, getting up slowly, "No point in just sitting here."  
"But wait!" Hermione cried, jumping out of her seat. "I haven't been sitting here watching you two talk about Quiddich for the last two hours, just to watch you get up and walk away!"  
"Then what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked patiently, still standing.  
"I don't know, you bring up something," Hermione said with a sigh, thinking how stupid boys were at times.  
"I'm too tired to think," Harry said.  
"Fine then, go, go to your little bed and just stay there, and leave poor little Hermione all by herself in the cold, freezing common room!" Hermione yelled.  
"Well, why don't you go to bed too?" Harry suggested.  
"Harry, think, what would I want to talk about- oh, never mind. I'm going to bed." Hermione said, clenching her teeth. And she walked right up the staircase to her dormitory.  
*   
That night, Hermione had a dream. She was walking through a gigantic field. It was filled with beautiful pansies, and daises. A heart-wrenching sunset filled with magnificent shades of yellow filled the never-ending sky.   
Only she felt like she was missing something. She looked every which way but she couldn't find whatever she was looking for! Finally after she had walked for what seemed like a million miles, there, at the end of the field, stood a figure.   
At this Hermione's heart exploded. She ran with her arms outstretched reaching towards him. And then, she was there, standing next to him, kissing him, and although she didn't know who it was, but yet, her heart knew, and she loved him. He was her idol, her inner love.   
Hermione woke with a start. The wonderful dream was over. He was gone. But then, Hermione realized she knew who the mysterious stranger was. He was truly the center of her life. She revolved around him, like the earth rotates around the sun. His name was a name every wizarding person knew; it was Harry Potter.  
Hermione leapt out of bed and flew into her clothes. She had to hurry; he might be gone already. Hermione raced into the common room. It was packed with Gryffindors loitering around before breakfast. Standing on the step, Hermione searched each face, looking for Harry's.   
But her hopes were to no avail. She ran down the stone steps to Fred Weasley, who was talking to Ginny. They both were smiling oddly. Hermione paid no attention to Ginny or the suspicious smiles on their faces.  
"Have you seen Harry?" Hermione said, franticly.  
"Naw," said Fred, "Why, is he missing?"  
"Yes," said Hermione beginning to walk away, "Well, at least for now."  
*  
At breakfast, Hermione sat down next to Ron.   
"Ron, have you seen Harry?" Hermione asked, watching disgustedly as Ron chewed his waffle with his mouth open.  
"Ah, no." Ron said between mouthfuls. "But wait, now I do." He pointed towards the side door, and sure enough, there was Harry, walking through the door.  
Hermione leapt out of her seat and raced to where Harry was standing. She kissed him on the cheek in her relief.  
"Oh, my god, Harry," she murmured in his ear. "I was afraid I lost you."  
"How could I be lost, Hermione?" Harry said, puzzled.  
"I don't know," she said, "Come on, sit down with us." She led the bewildered Harry to the Gryffindor table.  
"Hermione, I'm really surprised at you," Harry said. "You know, I think I'm old enough to leave the common room without your permission."  
"Oh, so Baby Harry is finally growing up." Hermione said sarcastically.  
"Yeah!" Harry said angrily. "I am, and without your help." He rose and left the room without eating a bite.  
"Gosh, what did you do to him?" Ron gaped.  
"Nothing, it's all his fault," Hermione said. She got up, and went to Gryffindor house.   
When she got there, she threw herself on her bed and cried until her eyes were dry. Then she decided to take a walk in the Forbidden Forest until she felt better.  
Once in the Forbidden Forest, walking along the trails, Hermione felt much better. But everything was quiet around her. Too quiet. Then, as Hermione rounded a corner, a gigantic spider jumped out onto the path! Hermione screamed and fainted.  
*  
When Hermione came around, she found she was in Hagrid's hut.  
"What happened?" she asked groggily.  
"Ya met a member of the spider society, Araog." Hagrid said simply.  
"What is that-oh, never mind. Where is Harry? Is he all right?"   
"How am I supposed ta know?" Hagrid shrugged.   
Hermione raced out of the room and back the Great Hall, which was empty. Letting out a little cry, Hermione ran to the Gryffindor Commons, where she found Ron.  
"Ron, Ron, there you are." Hermione gasped.  
"Yeah, I'm here," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Hermione's pitiful sight.  
"Do you know where Harry is?" Hermione begged.  
"Well, I guess you still like that boy don't ya?" Ron said grinning.  
Hermione frowned. "Well, it's just-"  
"Yeah, I know, excuses, excuses." Ron smiled. "Follow me." He began walking towards the Quiddich Field. Hermione lagged behind him.  
And there, right in front of them was Harry.   
"Harry! What are you doing here?" Hermione screamed, while she ran. The figure looked up. Hermione stopped in her tracks. "God, why me?" she pleaded. It wasn't Harry she had seen; it was Draco Malfoy.  
"Hermione! I was looking for you myself! Did you call me Harry- well never mind that. Here, look what I made for you!" He held out a thin, fragile diamond necklace. "Here, try it on."  
"Uh, well, it's nice." Hermione stuttered. "But um, it's not Christmas yet, so you can't give it to me, well at least not yet."  
"Of course," Malfoy smiled. "I should've known." He put the beautiful necklace in a velvet box, and tucked it away into his coat pocket. "Come on, let's go to Potions. After all, we do have it together." He stuck out his elbow.  
"Oh, whatever." Hermione said with a sigh.   
*  
Once at Potions, Hermione knew everything was going to be a disaster. And Malfoy, grinning from ear to ear, didn't help things much either.   
"So, Granger, you've decided that having a new boyfriend means that you can be late to class, eh?" Snape said sourly.  
"Gosh Snape, can't she be late to even one class?" Malfoy butted in. Snape gave a loud sigh.  
"Malfoy, I would appreciate it if you would keep your big mouth closed." Snape hissed.  
"Ah, of course Your Royal Highness," Malfoy snapped. Hermione hissed at him to keep quiet and elbowed him in the stomach. Malfoy paid no attention, "I shall just sit here and watch you yell at the poor Gryffindors and say not a word."  
"Good," Snape said, "I will be glad to see you quiet for once." And then, he began the lesson.  
"Come on, my sweet," Malfoy whispered to Hermione. "I can stay here no longer."  
"Malfoy, just because we're seventh years, doesn't mean we get to do what we please," Hermione began, but then was pulled out of the room by Malfoy.  
*  
After what seemed like years, Christmas Vacation finally came. Malfoy was still flirting with her, and it seemed like nothing had changed. Hermione decided she had to do something about Harry.   
When the train left for King's Cross, Hermione was on it. She had decided she would travel to the Dursely's to see if Harry was there. Hermione had no idea why Harry would want to go the Dursley's but you just never knew with Harry.  
Once Hermione was off the train, she rushed over to a nearby guard.  
"Uh, excuse me sir. Do you know where Privet Dri-" Hermione started.  
"Shut up, I can't concentrate," the guard said rudely.  
"Well exc-" Hermione began to walk away.  
"Hey, I don't believe anybody told you to leave just yet," the guard said roughly. "Come on, I said come here!" He reached out and grabbed her shirt collar.  
"Hey!" Hermione cried. But the guard paid no attention, he simply kept pulling her towards the south wall, that lead to the baggage claim area.  
"Listen," he ordered, "You're going to keep quiet about this, aren't ya?" He shook her roughly.  
"That," Hermione said, "Is none of your business, POLICE!" The man dropped her and melted into the crowd. "God," Hermione muttered, "Who the heck was he?"  
She walked out of King's Cross Station and went out to the main road, where she found a telephone directory.  
"Dursley, Dursley," Hermione ran her finger along the page of the book. "Oh what am I doing?" She said exasperatedly, "This is stupid."  
Then she took out her wand, and worked a charm that made her wand spin about on the page and finally point to Dursley, Vernon-638-3906. She dialed the number and was answered by the dial tone.   
"Why me?" Hermione moaned. She did the "point-me" spell and began walking to the Dursley's abode.  
*  
When she got there, all the lights were on, and Hermione didn't understand why the Dursley's hadn't answered the door. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked up the step and rang the doorbell.  
It was answered by Dudley. "Hello?" he grunted, "Who's there?"  
"Me, Hermione, from er, Stonewall." Hermione said quickly.  
"Eh, well I don't know anybody from Stonewall. Nobody goes there in our family." Dudley said.  
"Well, that's what I was wondering, I'm a pro-no, teacher at Stonewall, and I was asked, by the School Board, to see why you and your brother aren't going to school there," Hermione said.  
"I don't know why," Dudley said stupidly. "You'll have to talk with my dad." He opened the door more widely. "Come on in."  
"Hey Dad!" Dudley yelled down the hall. "We have a guest!"  
"Why don't you answer your phone?" Hermione asked curiously. "I tried to call earlier, but nobody answered."  
"Oh, I don't know," Dudley said. "Just a second ago I was playing pinball."  
As they walked down the hallway, Hermione slipped away from Dudley and ran up the stairs to Harry's bedroom.  
"Hey!" Dudley called, "What are you doing?" But Hermione paid no attention to Dudley, and came to Harry's bedroom door.   
She opened it cautiously and peeped around it into Harry's room. It was a mess, and abandoned, excluding Hedwig, who was in her cage, looking out at Hermione, curiously. Papers were all over the floor, and the alarm clock lay broken on the bed. But the thing that surprised Hermione the most was that Harry's Firebolt lay leaning against the sliding closet doors. She hadn't thought that Harry would've left his beloved broom behind, the one his godfather, Sirius Black had given him.  
Hermione broke open the window with a magic spell, and with the other, grabbed Harry's Firebolt. She sat on the broom, and flew out of the Dursley's house.  
*  
Hermione landed on the Quiddich field. She landed with a thud and nearly fell off her broom too. Once she got off, she ran as fast as she possibly could towards the main Hogwarts building. Hermione ran through the entranceway, up the marble stairs, and she continued running full speed to the Gryffindor common room.  
"Enchantment-Zapment," Hermione said breathlessly towards the general direction of The Portrait Of The Fat Lady. The door swung open.   
And inside, stood Harry Potter, with a big smile on his face, his arms open. She ran into them, tears falling steadily down her pale face.   
He kissed her, and she kissed him, and he whispered to her, "I guess you do love me don't ya?"  
"Oh, Harry," she croaked, "How could you? But yes, I do love you. I love you Harry Potter, I love you, and you're to never leave me again, hear?"  
But Harry didn't answer, he just kissed her again, only this time Hermione was ready, and she wrapped her arms around him, and said, "I love you Harry Potter, I do."   



End file.
